Annual Report 2019/20 Growing stronger together The Victorian Women’s Trust respectfully acknowledges the wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their custodianship of the Our vision Full gender equality = a world where women, girls, non-binary and gender diverse people take up all of life’s opportunities with respect, safety and dignity. THIS IMAGE: Janya Clemens and Maria Chetcuti BOTTOM: Michelle Pereira Images Breeana Dunbar About Us Organisational Structure Established in 1985, the Victorian Women’s Trust (VWT) is a proudly independent feminist We have three entities: organisation. We support women, girls and gender diverse people to thrive. VICTORIAN WOMEN’S TRUST LTD (VWT) Our engine room conducting research, advocacy We create social change projects and campaigns; and public campaigns to ensure gender equality conduct research on the issues affecting our becomes a reality in this lifetime. communities; run thought-provoking events; provide mentorship opportunities; and give grants THE DUGDALE TRUST FOR WOMEN & GIRLS (DWTG) to vital grassroots projects. Our national harm prevention entity, pursuing circuit-breaking solutions to reducing harm and Our advocacy work focuses on three high impact ensuring a brighter, safer and fairer future for areas: economic security, health and safety, and women and girls. equal representation. Creating change in these areas is key to achieving true gender equality. VICTORIAN WOMEN’S BENEVOLENT TRUST (VWBT) Our grant maker. Since 1985, VWBT has provided VWT is 100% powered by donations from people hundreds of grants to grassroots community in the community who share our vision for an organisations that improve the status of women equal future for all. and gender diverse people. THIS IMAGE: Sanduni Hewa Katupothage and Shayoni Hewa Katupothage at the Money Power Freedom launch BOTTOM: Tarana Burke at the Collingwood Town Hall Contents Annual Report production team EDITORS Ally Oliver-Perham & Esther Davies-Brown CO-ORDINATOR Esther Davies-Brown DESIGN Aimee Carruthers WRITERS Ally Oliver-Perham, Esther Davies-Brown, Mary Crooks AO, Alana Johnson AM, Leanne Miller, Maria Chetcuti, Claire Duffy, Sophie Bliss, Lieu Le, Casimira Melican, Janice Powell, Wilfredo Zelada, Tarik Bayrakli INTERVIEWS Esther Davies-Brown & Ally Oliver-Perham PROOF READERS Casimira Melican & Claire Duffy FINANCIALS Wilfredo Zelada & Gillian Barnes ARTWORK Michelle Pereira 4 In Conversation: Leanne Miller 28 Money Power Freedom and Mary Crooks AO 32 Research & Advocacy 8 Executive Director’s Report 35 Trust News 9 Chair’s Report 42 Board of Directors 10 Vale John Cain VICTORIAN WOMEN’S TRUST PTY LTD 46 Staff Team ABN 20 006 403 256 12 Community Grants 48 Koorie Women Mean Business VICTORIAN WOMEN’S BENEVOLENT TRUST 16 Our Sub Funds ABN 80 989 689 839 50 Financials THE DUGDALE TRUST FOR WOMEN & GIRLS 24 Targeted Impact Grants 62 Heartfelt Thanks ABN 45 242 265 341 25 Major Projects FOLLOW @VicWomensTrust 65 Acknowledgements VISIT Level 9 313 La Trobe Street Melbourne 3000 PHONE (03) 9642 0422 EMAIL [email protected] DONATE www.vwt.org.au/donate 6 ANNUAL REPORT 2019/2020 VICTORIAN WOMEN’S TRUST 6 ANNUAL REPORT 2019/2020 7 KWMB and VWT have been proudly in partnership for carpenter. My mum, apart from looking after over thirty years, sharing an office space and regularly us, worked for a time in the local shoe store. In Conversation collaborating on projects and events. Dad worked with some Aboriginal blokes on the railways. My brother and I used to ride our In 2020, as protests and dialogue in the community bikes around the town with some Aboriginal grew around the Black Lives Matter movement globally, kids, which didn’t seem to faze our parents at and what that means here in Australia, Leanne and Leanne Miller and Mary Crooks on race, all. I do remember picking up on some offensive Mary came together to talk about their personal reconciliation, and the importance of truth telling language about Aboriginal people and feeling experiences with race, white privilege, and the uncomfortable about it but I didn’t process the people who shaped their thinking and activism. deeper meaning. From memory, our school books As heads of Koorie Women Mean Business Leanne Miller (LM): “I’m one of ten kids, growing up at the time just dulled our minds to our Indigenous (KWMB) and the Victorian Women’s Trust on my mother’s land, Yorta Yorta country, in north- past. I do remember feeling indignant in 1967 that east Victoria. My mother was born on a mission. we were only now holding a referendum to allow (VWT), Leanne Miller and Mary Crooks have I grew up with all my cousins, they were my friends. the Commonwealth to count Aboriginal people worked alongside one another for many years I didn’t mix with non-Aboriginal kids until I got to in the census.” as fellow board members, peers, and friends. high school in Shepparton. I spent a lot of time with LM: “How about that — I was just starting primary my grandparents; they would take me out bush to school at the time. I remember the excitement meetings; and my aunties would look after me. in my family, and celebrating the Referendum It was at school that I started to notice the difference, result. It was weird though because I was still of being excluded, I was the odd one out all the time. feeling so isolated at school. This only really The white teachers would look at me and then put me began to change when I moved to high school in in the naughty corner. It was the start of many high Melbourne and found comfort in the company of schools for me — someone would call me a ‘black people from other backgrounds, Italian, Maltese bitch’ and I would retaliate and hit them. My brother and Greek. We’re all still friends. would say, ‘you’ve really got to do something about But on the work front, racism was rearing its head that temper’ and I would say back, ‘they should really in other ways. I had embarked on a journalist control their language.’ career, working in ABC radio. I’d set up phone What about you, Crooksie?” interviews without actually meeting people, but when people saw my face, they would look me Mary Crooks (MC): “Well, things were very different. over differently from other producers; their tone I was one of four kids, growing up in a little town, and body language would change. Heywood, in south-west Victoria. My dad was a “ It was at school that I started to notice the difference, of being excluded, I was the odd one out all the time. The white teachers would look at me and then put me in the naughty corner.� 8 VICTORIAN WOMEN’S TRUST ANNUAL REPORT 2019/2020 9 “T ruth-telling is integral to reconciliation. It’s the missing bit between the Apology and reconciliation. Our stories, your stories. Deep and intimate. A shared history.� I remember one station manager patting me on Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders to unpack our racist past — and present — and LM: “Absolutely! We have to have a heavy emphasis the head and calling me ‘girlie’. I asked him to (FCAATSI) at Townsville, I can’t remember the to understand how white privilege works and on honest history. This is one of the important tasks stop. He came back two days later really angry year. From then on, exposure to Aboriginal leaders the deeper, reflective work one needs to do on before us at the First People’s Assembly of Victoria. with me for challenging him. The more I put up my like Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Faith Bandler and Joe deprogramming oneself. I am excited by this layer of work and pleased to hand to be a serious journalist, the more I seemed McGinness really jolted me into new ways of seeing.” be part of the whole deal. Truth-telling is integral And Indigenous leaders like June Oscar AO and Jackie to encounter different types of racism, whether to reconciliation. It’s the missing bit between the LM: “That’s amazing — my mother and grandmother Huggins AM, and writers like Henry Reynolds and in central Australia, urban Sydney, Melbourne or Apology and reconciliation. Our stories, your stories. took me to a FCAATSI gathering in Canberra. Marilyn Lake, have also helped me to understand and regional Victoria.” Deep and intimate. A shared history.” I remember the reception given by Gough and appreciate the urgent need for truth telling, and how MC: “How did you cope with all of this, Leanne?” Margaret Whitlam. This memory of women working this holds the key to reconciliation. together has stayed with me. But it’s been hard work Read more about Koorie Women Mean Business on LM: “I was confused. I would have conversations with Wasn’t it George Orwell who suggested that ‘those who > in lots of white forums. Over the years, I have put my pages 48-49. my mother and my auntie who called it out as racism. control the present control the past, and who controls hand up to serve on lots of Committees, including And I would say, ‘So there’s nothing to fight this the past controls the future’, or something like that?” Ministerial Committees, and I’ve usually been the with?’ They would talk to me about their activism, the only Aboriginal woman in the room. I’ve noted the experiences of my aunties and uncles, and the need room structures and honed my listening skills, which for restorative justice for our peoples.” is part of my cultural tradition. At the same time, MC: “Mmm. I remember those years after high school I have seen subtle plays of dominance, power and as a time when I was still stumbling around a bit, control.